Apparatus for operating on an edge of a moving web

ABSTRACT

AN APPARATUS FOR ACCURATELY APPLYING EDGE RIBBONS TO A CONTINUOUS FABRIC STRIP OF MATERIAL WHICH INCLUDES A PAIR OF SENSING DEVICES FOR SENSING THE LATERAL POSITIONS OF THE EDGES OF THE STRIP MATERIAL AND MECHANISM FOR MAINTAINING ONE OF SAID EDGES OF THE STRIP MATEIAL IN REGISTRY WITH ONE   OF A PAIR OF EDGE RIBBON TURNOVER DEVICES AND FOR MAINTAINING THE OTHER EDGE RIBBON TURNOVER DEVICE IN REGISTRY WITH THE OTHER EDGE OF THE STRIP MATEIAL.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON AN EDGE OF A MOVING WEB Filed Aug. 12, 1968C. E. TODD June 22, 1971 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENIOR. CH/I/ELES E. 7000June 22, 1971 C. E. TODD APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON AN EDGE OF A MOVINGWEB Filed Aug. 12, 1968 "r Sheets-Sheet June 2 2, 1971 I c. E. TODD v3,586,581

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON AN EDGE OF A MOVING WEB Filed Aug. 12, 1968 7Sheets-Sheet '5 U LL l l l l l I l l I l 1 21-10. Q VEN'IORL I O/mac'sTow BY v W Y w v Arm/Viv June 22, 1971 c. E. TODD 3,586,581

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON AN EDGE OF A MOVING WEB Filed Aug. 12, 1968 7Sheets-Sheet 4.

I N VliNl 0R. CHAQLGs 76m B /i j June 22, 1971 3,585,581

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON AN EDGE OF A MOVING WEB Filed Aug. 12, 1968c. E. TODD 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON AN EDGE OF AMOVING WEB Filed Aug. 12, 1968 C. E. TODD June 22, 1971 7 SheetsSheet 6IN VliN'lUR (M19055 5. 500

XA. M 7 WW3 June 22, 1971 c. E. TODD 3,586,581

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON AN EDGE OF A MOVING WEB Filed Aug. 12, 1968 7Sheets-Sheet 7' I N VliN I )R. Che /946$ f. 7600 United States PatentOffice Patented June 22,, 1971 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatusfor accurately applying edge ribbons to a continuous fabric strip ofmaterial which includes .a pair of sensing devices for sensing thelateral positions of the edges of the strip material and mechanism formaintaining one of said edges of the strip material in registry with oneof a pair of edge ribbon turnover devices and for maintaining the otheredge ribbon turnover device in registry with the other edge of the stripmaterial.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to means forenclosing the edge of strip material in a narrow folded strip of rubber,and has for an object to provide an improved apparatus for applying athin strip of rubber to one, or both, of the lateral edges of stripmaterial and for folding the strip rubber thereabout. In particular, thepresent invention relates to the binding of the edges of fabrics, suchas low-angle bias-cut tire breaker fabrics as used in the constructionof radial ply tires.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatusof the above type which evenly positions a binding ribbon of arelatively thin gum rubber over each marginal edge of such a continuousstrip of low angle bias-cut tire breaker fabric.

It is a concomitant object of the present invention to provide anapparatus of the above type which is capable of applying the relativelythin gum rubber ribbons evenly to the opposite marginal edges of acontinuous strip of bias-cut tire breaker fabric irrespective of 'widthand/or lateral position variations of such fabric and even though thematerial is cut at a low bias-angle making it relatively weak at theedges thereof.

As an example of the use of the present invention there is illustratedan apparatus operating upon fabric strips which are used in themanufacture of pneumatic tire casings. The purpose of binding the stripsis to insulate the edges thereof from the remaining portions of a tirecarcass. This is customary practice in pneumatic tire manufacture. It isknown, to splice together a series of bias-cut fabric strips so as toform a continuous length. It is also known to simultaneously therewithslice a Wide strip of soft rubber stock into a plurality of strips,forming ribbons which are carried in continuous movement to the fabricto which they are attached by folding around the edges thereof. Such anarrangement is for example described in U.S. Pat. 2,060,269 issued onNov. 10, 1936 to George F. Wikle.

With the advent of improved tire constructions, and particularly thoseusing fabrics cut at low bias angles such as radial ply tires, the knownedge applying apparatus has been found to be no longer satisfactory.Slight unavoidable variations in the lateral position of the continuousstrip of fabric in moving through the apparatus and/or slight variationsin the width of the fabric strip result, with the known apparatus, innon-uniformly applied edge ribbons. The purpose of the present inventionis to provide an improved apparatus for binding a strip of fabric orother material, with a thin folded rubber ribbon, rapidly andeconomically and with uniformity as to the width, thickness and relativeposition of the rubber edging. In binding strip material, such as fabricstrip employed in the building of tire casings, with a folded edging ofthin, unvulcanized sheet rubber ribbon stock, it has heretofore been thepractice to apply the rubber with a pair of fixed folding fingers suchas taught by the Wikle patent.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing objects and advantages willappear more fully in the following detailed description, when consideredin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

:FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the apparatus according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus in the direction ofthe arrows 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the apparatus as viewed in thedirection of the arrows 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view taken in the direction of arrows 55 of FIG. 1 showingthe fabric shifting means;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged front elevational, partly sectional, yiew of thefold over means according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a partial, partly sectional side elevational, view of the foldover means shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a partial, partly sectional, top plan view of the fold overmeans shown in FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 is a transverse sectional view of a fabric strip having edgeinsulating ribbons applied to the opposite edges thereof in accordancewith the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective schematic view, enlarged with respect to theother figures, of the fold over blades in accordance with the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawingsand first to FIG. 1, the present invention comprises a frame 1 rotatablysupporting thereon a breaker fabric supply conveyor 10 for supplying astrip of breaker fabric 2. A conventional take-up spool 20 is journalledat the end of an arm 20a pivotally carried by frame 1. The spool 20 ismaintained in tangential contact with a drum 25 journalled on frame 1and driven by a conventional drive means such as an electric motor 25aconnected thereto in conventional manner for rotating the drum 25 incounterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 so as to advance thefabric 2 in the direction of the arrows. The conveyor 10 and the spool20 are positioned at the same end of the apparatus but at differentelevations with respect to each other. From the supply conveyor thefabric strip 2 is advanced along a generally U-shaped path, leadingfirst to a fabric centering means 30 carried on frame 1 and then throughan edge ribbon applicator means 50. Positioned on the frame 1 above thepath of the fabric strip in the region of means 50, is an edge ribbonsupply and delivery means 40 for supplying a pair of ribbons to oppositeedges of the fabric 2, as it advances toward the edge applicator means50.

The fabric strip 2 being delivered by supply conveyor 10 whose speed issynchronized with that of drum 25 driven by drive motor 25a, passesinitially under a guide roller 11 and from there over the first andunder the second of a pair of parallel centering rolls .12 and 13respectively, of the conventional centering means 30 as best seen inFIG. 5. As is known, the parallel rolls 12 and 13 are rotatablyjournalled between a pair of parallel plates 14 and 15 which later are,in turn, pivotally supported on movable blocks 14- and 15' respectively.The

blocks 14' and 15 are supported for movement along symmetrical,oppositely inclined, paths by means of the oppositely inclinedsymmetrical pairs of guide rods 17 and 18 which are afli'xed to theframe 1. A hydraulic actuator 19 parallel to the guide rods 17 isconnected to the block 14' for movement of the block 14' along guiderods 17 to tilt the rollers 12 and 13. The parts are shown in FIG. 5 intheir neutral, i.e. center position with the axes of rollers 12 and 13perpendicular to the direction of fabric advance. The direction ofactuation i.e. tilt of the rollers 12 and 13 may be controlled throughsuitable valves (not shown) which form part of a control means 16a whichlatter in turn is controlled by a pneumatic or photoelectric edgesensing head 16 of conventional design. The sensing head 16 is fixed toframe 1 adjacent the path of an edge a of fabric strip 2 and detects theposition of said edge as the latter advances towards the edge ribbonapplicator means 50, so as to keep said edge a in registry with aturnover blade 50a to be described in greater detail hereinafter.Whenever the edge a of fabric strip 2 shifts laterally with respect tothe detector 16, the latter senses such shift in conventional manner andin response thereto actuates the control means 16a.

Whenever any lateral movement of the edge a of fabric strip 2' isdetected by the sensing head 16 the actuating means 19 is actuated in adirection to tilt the rollers 12 and 1:3 angularly from the illustratedcentral position in either clockwise or counterclockwise directiondepending upon the direction of lateral shift detected by head 16, so asto urge the strip 2 therebetween to shift laterally until edge a thereofis back in its predetermined position in registry with blade 50a. Thecentering means and the operation thereof is known to those skilled inthe art and is not therefore described in greater detail herein.

The fabric strip 2 is thus maintained in a position in which its edge aremains in registry with the blade a as hereinafter described in moredetail. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatalternatively other known means may be employed to detect lateralshifting of edge a of strip 2 and to maintain the latter edge inregistry with blade 50a. I

After leaving the centering means 30 the fabric strip 2 passesvertically to a guide roller 31 which deflects the strip into ahorizontal path to a pair of parallel, closely spaced horizontallydisposed ro lers 51a and 51b rotatably journalled in the frame 1. Thefabric strip 2 passes over roller 511/2 then between the pair of rollersand under roller 5111. From there the strip proceeds in a substantiallyhorizontal path to a further set of parallel rollers 51c and 51d (FIG.8) also rotatably journalled in the frame 1.

Roller 51c is spaced from roller 51b and positioned at a lower elevationthan the pair of rollers 51a and 51b. The elevation of roller 510 issuch that the peripheral surface thereof is located below andsubstantially tangent to a horizontal plane which in turn is locatedbelow and substantially tangent to the peripheral surfaces of therollers 51a and 51b so that the fabric strip 2 will be guided along asubstantially horizontal path intermediate the spaced rollers 51!) and510.

After passing over roller 51c and then downwardly between rollers 51cand 51d and under roller 51d, the fabric strip 2 passes under anadditional parallelly disposed guide roller 51e and thence over the drum25 onto take-up spool 20.

The rollers 51a through 51d form part of an edge strip applicator means50 for applying edge ribbons 3a and 312 (FIG. 9) to the respective edgesa and b of fabric strip 2 so as to form a strip assembly 4, as will bedescribed in more detail hereinbelow. After passing under roller 51e thestrip assembly 4 passes over the surface of drum 25 from which it iswound onto spool 20 together with a liner 4a which is simultaneouslyunwound from a liner supply spool 5 conveniently journalled on frame 1.

As best shown in FIG. 3 there is provided a gum edgeribbon supply roller41 for supplying a continuous strip of the gum material 3.

In order to gauge properly the width of the narrow ribbons of rubber 3aand 312, there is provided a slitting unit which comprises a hardsurface roller 42 mounted in bearings attached to the frame 1. Thisroller 42 is driven preferably through a chain drive by a suitableelectric motor. A plurality of cutter discs 43 are posi tioned above theroller 42 in a manner to press with force against the surface of roller42 so as to slice into narrower strips the wider strip 3 passingtherebetween.

After passing over a portion of the surface of a further roller 45, alsorotably supported on frame 1 parallel to and having a positive driveconnection with the roller 42, the ribbons 3a and 3b are independentlywithdrawn from the roller 45 by a pair of horizontally spaced parallelrollers 46a and 46b, respectively.

Roller 46a is rotably journalled in fixed position in frame 1 while theroller 46b is rotatably journalled in a bracket 47 which is slidablycarried on frame 1 for horizontal movement in directions toward and awayfrom roller 46a, i.e., in directions to the left and the right as viewedin FIG. 3. The axes of rotation of rollers 46a and 46b are preferablylocated in a common horizontal plane, at an elevation above the edgeribbon applicator means 50, which will now be described.

The ribbon applicator means 50 includes a pair of parallel turnoverblades 50a and 50b (FIG. 8) positioned alongside the marginal edges 11and b, respectively, of the fabric strip 2.

The blade 50a is fixed to a pair of brackets 58 which in turn arerigidly connected to frame 1, so that blade 50a is stationary withrespect to frame 1. Parallel to and horizontally spaced from blade 50ais a second blade, namely blade 50b, fixedly connected to bracket 47 andmovable with said bracket in directions toward and away from blade 50ain the horizontal plane defined by said pair of blades. A horizontalguide surface for guiding the fabric strip 2 between the blades 50a and50b, and in a direction parallel thereto, is defined by the upperhorizontal surfaces of a pair of fixed parallel blocks 52a and 52badjacent the blade 50a and a third parallel block 52c which is fixed toand movable with the bracket 47. The blades 50a and 50b include ahorizontally elongated vertical wall portions 50a 5012 respectively, andhorizontally elognated curved lips 50a" and 50b respectively dependingfrom said wall portions (FIG. 10). The curvature of the lip portions50a" and 50b" is such as to make the blades left hand and right handblades respectively. As best seen in FIG. 10 each of the lips 50a" and50b" has a smooth, curved, guide surface which faces downwardly at theupstream end of the blade and upwardly at the downstream end and havinga smooth transition in between. These guide surfaces have upstream endregions located in a substantially horizontal plane and curving towardthe central region of the blade where they become substantiallyvertical, thereafter curving further until in the downstream region ofthe blade the guide surfaces once more become substantially horizontalbut now face upwardly. The upstream regions of the lips 50a and 50b"extend in opposite directions away from each other, and each of theselips curves inwardly until at their downstream regions the latter extendtoward each other in a common horizontal plane. The construction ofblades 50a and 50b is preferably such that the said upstream anddownstream regions of the lips 50a and 50b are located substantially inthe same horizontal plane.

The upwardly facing horizontal guide surfaces of fixed blocks 52a, 52band of movable block 520 are preferably located in the same horizontalplane as the upwardly facing guide surfaces of the blades 50a and 50brespectively.

The result is a flexing of the marginal edges a and b of strip 2 duringits passage through blades 50a and 50b in a manner to increase thepressure exerted by the lips 50a" and 50b" on the bent over portions ofribbons 3a and 3b so as to assure precise adherence of the ribbons tothe strip.

The sensing head 16 is fixed laterally in a position in which it willdetect variation in strip edge positions out of a path which is inregistry with the inwardly facing surface of the vertical wall portion50a of blade 50a, so that the centering means 30 will keep the edge a ofthe continuous fabric strip 2 in substantial registry with the blade50a. The ribbon delivery means 40 is arranged such that a vertical planetangent to the surface of roller 46a on the side thereof which facesroller 46b, is in substantial alignment with said path of edge a, Thegum ribbon 3a, therefore, leaves roller 46a in a path located in saidvertical plane. The ribbon 3a is thereafter twisted 90 to permit it topass over transversely positioned roller 51b which latter deflects theribbon 3a into a horizontal direction i.e., superimposed on strip 2.

Carried on the movable bracket 47 is a second edge sensing detector 48of conventional design. The detector 48 is positioned adjacent themarginal edge b of the fabric strip 2 for detecting the position of thelatter edge. The signals from the detector 48 are fed by conventionalmeans to a conventional control device 48a which controls the operationof a pair of valves which in turn, in known manner, control thedirection of movement of the piston 49a reciprocably received in thehydraulic cylinder 49b which is suitably fixed to frame 1. Piston 49a,in turn, is rigidly connected to the bracket 47, thus completing afeedback for continuously urging the bracket 47 and the guide roller46b, and the edge detector 48, mounted thereon, to remain in registrywith the marginal edge b of strip 2. The inwardly facing verticalsurface of wall 50b of blade 50b is also located substantially inregistry with detector 48. The latter is of course positioned insubstantial alignment with the vertical plane which is tangent to theperipheral surface of roller 46b at the side thereof which faces awayfrom roller 4612. Thus, the ribbon 3b which passes over roller 46b isdeflected downwardly thereby along said vertical plane and then istwisted 90 into contact with the roller 51b which further deflects theribbon 3b onto the horizontal strip 2. Thus, the cylinder-pistonarrangement 49a and 49b moves the bracket 47 as a unit with the detector48, the blade 50b, and the guide roller 46b so as to keep the blade 50bin substantial registry with the marginal edge b of the fabric strip 2.A suitable guide rod 490 and conventional guide rails 49d and 49e areprovided for supporting the bracket 47 for said lateral movementthereof,

The ribbon guide rollers 46a and 46b, therefore, position the ribbons 3aand 3b, respectively, in proper overlapping relation with the edges aand b, respectively, of the fabric strip 2. The roller 51b (-FIG. 6)operates to press the ribbons in proper adhesion with the edges of thefabric 2. The ribbons 3a and 3b are deflected respectively around theroller 51b, being sandwiched intermediate the roller and the respectivemarginal edge of the fabric strip 2, which latter is also deflectedthereabout. The turnover blades 50a and 50b interposed between therollers 51b and 51c are always positioned in substantial registry withthe corresponding edges of the fabric strip 2 (FIGS. 7 and 8) andoperate to turn the overlapping ribbons down and around the respectiveedges of the fabric strip 2. Following the turnover operation, therollers 51c and 51d, by pressing against opposite faces of the foldededging ribbons, complete the stitching operation thereof, so that theribbons 3a and 3b are securely adhered to both surfaces bordering theedges of the fabric 2.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the opposinginwardly facing surfaces of vertical walls 50a and 50b are slightlyoffset toward each other, each with respect to its corresponding edgesensing means 16 and 48. The resulting spacing between the said opposingblade surfaces is preferably somewhat less than the width of a strip 2passing therebetween resulting in substantial lateral pressures exertedon the ribbons 3a and 3b during folding thereof over the edges a and bof strips 2. In this manner a straight, tight fold is obtained whichpermits accurate alignment of the breaker strip with a tire carcassduring a later operation.

As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the rollers 42, 45 and 46a and 46b aredriven in synchronism with the movement of the fabric i.e., with therollers 51a through 51a.

The drive sprocket and chains for driving the rollers 42, 45, 46a and46b in synchronism with each other, and with the fabric advancemechanism comprising the drum 25, are of conventional design. The roller46b is, as noted above, movable toward and away from roller 46a and musttherefore be driven by a drive mechanism which will permit such relativemovement while maintaining the pair of rollers in synchronism with eachother. Any suitable drive mechanism for accomplishing this purpose maybe used such as for example the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 4, where adrive chain 60' interconnects all of the various sprockets associatedwith the rollers 42, 45, 46a and 46b so that when roller 45 is driven bya second drive chain 61, suitably connected by intermediate sprocket andchain drives to the motor 25a which also drives drum 25, the rollers 42,45, 46a and 46b will also be driven in synchronism therewith. Theaforesaid drive mechanism includes a suitable spring biased sprocket 62for maintaining the chain 60 in driving connection with the varioussprockets for all lateral positions of the roller 46b.

It will be seen that in accordance with the present invention thecontinuous fabric strip 2 and the pairs of ribbons 3a and 3b areassembled together (FIG. 9) in a manner wherein the ribbons are laid inaccurately overlapped relation with the edges of the fabric strip andsubsequently folded around said edges so as to completely uniformlyenclose the edges of the fabric strip irrespective of width and lateralposition variation of the latter. The edge a of fabric strip 2 ismaintained in substantial registry with the turnover blade 50a while theturnover blade 50b is maintained in substantial registry with the edge bof the fabric strip 2. The gum ribbons 3a and 3b are adhesively appliedin overlapping relation to the respective marginal portions of thefabric strip as the latter passes under the roller 51b (FIG. 6). Thefree margins of the gum strips are then turned inwardly under the fabricstrip and are caused to adhere to the undersurface of said strip as thestrip progresses between the turnover blades 50a and 50b. Theunvulcanized rubber compound of the gum ribbons is tacky and thereforeadheres readily to the fabric strip 2. Advancing downstream of theturnover blades 50a and 50b the now assembled strip 4 then passes overthe wide roller 51c and then under roller 51d to perfect the adhesion ofthe ribbons to the strip. The completed stripassembly 4 is finallyrolled up on spool 20 together with a liner 4a, after having passed overthe drum 25. The take-up spool 20 is carried on a pivotally mounted arm20a and urged, as a result of its own weight, into tangential contactwith the drum 25 so as to insure a smooth transfer of the strip assembly4.

In operation, a suitable drive motor 25a (FIG. 1) positively drives, viaa suitable chain or timing belt transmission, the edge ribbon supply andapplicator means in synchronism with the fabric strip advance means in amanner which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. After thefabric strip 2 has been initially threaded through the apparatus andapplied to the wind-up spool 20, and the gum ribbon 3 from thefree-wheeling supply spool 41 has been threaded through the cuttingassembly 42, 43 and from. there, in cut form, i.e. ribbons 3a and 3b,around the rollers 45, 46a, and 46b and thence over the roller 51b intoadhesive contact with the spaced edges of the fabric strip 2, theelectric drive motor 25a is energized so as to positively drive the drum25 for advancing the fabric strip 2 through the apparatus.

The fabric strip 2 is advanced through the apparatus in the direction ofthe arrows (FIG. 1), over the freely rotatable rollers 11, 12, 13, 19a,and 51a, b, c, d, and e. The fabric supply conveyor is suitable drivenin synchronism with the drum by a conventional chain drive alsoconnected to motor 25a. The rollers 42, 45, 46a and 46b are, of course,also driven in synchronism with the fabric advance means, by the motor25a, so that the gum edge ribbons 3a and 3b will be advanced at the samerate of speed as the fabric strip 2. Meanwhile, the marginal scrapstrips 3a and 3b of the cut edging material 3 are advanced, by means ofdriven rollers 44a and 44b respectively (FIG. 3) over a pair of inclinedidler rollers and 66 (only one of which is shown) which deflect thelatter scrap strips out of the path of the cut edging ribbons 3a and 3bunder a spring biased rubbertired wheel 67 to a scrap receptacle (notshown) together with the liner 41a from ribbon supply spool 41.

In passing under a portion of the roller 51b the edging ribbons 3a and3b are applied in overlapping relationship to the corresponding edges (1and b of the fabric strip 2 which also passes under the roller 51b incontact with the underside of the edging strips. With the edging ribbonsin this overlying relationship (FIG. 7) they continue to pass, togetherwith the fabric 2, through the opposing turnover blades 50a and 50b, thesurfaces 50a" and 50b" of which deflect the outwardly extending freeportions of the ribbons 3a and 3b first downwardly around the respectiveedges a and b of the fabric and then upwardly into contact with theunderside of the respective marginal edge portions of the fabric 2,adhering the deflected strip portions to such underside. After passingover and under, respectively, the idler rollers '51c and 51d the stripas sembly 4 then passes under idler roller 51e and onto the surface ofdrum 25 with which the wind-up spool 20 is in pressure contact. It willbe seen that lateral variations in positions of the edges a and b offabric strip 2 are compensated for by movement of the fabric withrespect to blade 50a and movement of the blade 50b with respect to thefabric, respectively. In this manner accurate application of the thinrubber ribbons 3a and 3b in accurately overlapping relationship to thefabric strip edges is accomplished.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that suitableconventional electrical and fluid circuits will be employed in theforegoing tire building machine to automatically or manually regulatethe various movements of the various parts of the machine as well as tosynchronize the operations of the various components of the machine withrespect to one another.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been shown anddescribed it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variouschanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects, and it is, therefore, intended in theappended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for operating on a longitudinally advancing web, incombination:

first detector means for sensing lateral displacement,

out of a given fixed path, of one edge of the advancing web; webshifting means responsive to said first detector means for shifting theweb laterally so as to maintain said one web edge in registry with saidgiven path;

movable operating means laterally spaced from said given path andadapted to operate on the other edge of said web;

second detector means for sensing lateral displacement of said otheredge of said web; and

means responsive to said second detector means for laterally shiftingsaid movable operating means into continuous registry with said otherweb edge. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprisingfixed operating means located adjacent said given fixed path foroperating on said one edge of the advancing web.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said fixed operating meanscomprises fixed applicator means for applying a binding ribbon in lappedrelation to said one edge of said web and fixed folding means positioneddownstream of said fixed applicator means for folding said bindingribbon around said one edge.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said movable operatingmeans comprises movable applicator means for applying a binding ribbonin lapped relation to said other edge of said web and movable foldingmeans located downstream of said applicator means for folding saidbinding ribbon around said other web edge.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said movable operatingmeans comprises a movable member, said movable applicator means and saidmovable folding means being supported on, for movement with, saidmovable member.

6. The. apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising fixedapplicator means for applying a first binding ribbon in lapped relationto said one edge of the Web;

fixed folding means positioned adjacent said one edge of said web forfolding said one binding ribbon therearound; said web shifting meansadapted to maintain said one edge of said web in substantial registrywith said fixed folding means while said web is advanced;

said movable operating means including movable applicator means forapplying a second binding ribbon in lapped relation to the other edge ofthe web, and movable folding means for folding said second bindingribbon around said other edge;

said movable operating means responsive to said second detector meansfor maintaining said movable applicator means and said movable foldingmeans in substantial registry with said other edge of said web;

whereby both said binding ribbons are accurately applied to therespective edges of the web irrespective of variations in the lateralposition of the web or variations in the width of the web.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said second detector meansis movably supported and is adapted to automatically move laterally inresponse to variations in the lateral position of said other edge of thestrip material so as to remain in substantial registry with said otheredge.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising means forseparating both said binding ribbons from a single wider strip ofrubber.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said fixed and movableribbon applicator means comprise re spectively a first fixed and asecond movable ribbon guide roller respectively supported for rotationabout a pair of substantially parallel spaced axes located respectivelyin the regions of and extending substantially parallel to the oppositeedges of said strip material.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 comprising frame means, feedmeans carried by said frame means for advancing the web in a givendirection, a member movably supported on said frame means for movementin direction transverse to said given direction, said movable foldingmeans carried by said member for movement therewith in said directionstransverse to said given direction; said first roller being fixed tosaid frame means 10 and said second roller carried by said movablemember References Cited for movement together withsaid movable foldingmeans. UNITED STATES PATENTS 11. The apparatus accordlng to claim 10further comprising a pair of parallel strip guide rollers supported on2,871,013 1/1959 Markey 226-22X said frame means for rotation about axestransverse to 3,044,534 7/1962 Yoho 156467 said given direction, andsaid strip guide rollers being 0 3,306,971 2/1967 Olson et s6 467xadapted to engage the opposite faces of said web, said ribbon guiderollers cooperating with one of said strip BENJAMIN BORCHELT PrimaryExammer guide rollers for guiding the binding ribbons thereto in J. J.DEVITT, Assistant Examiner spaced relation to each other intermediatethe surface of 10 said one strip guide roller and the face of said stripma- US. Cl. X.R.

terial engaged thereby and in lapped relation to the respective marginaledges of said web.

